Another Road
by Ortinbras Itrenore and Ashkor
Summary: What if Spyro hadn't saved Cynder in Convexity? Spyro gets a new ally. Society won't allow them to be together, but they fight the odds... And the Dark Master. Rated T for language and violence. Rating may change. R&R please! Flames are not welcome here!
1. Skinned Alive

Another Road

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: Have you ever wondered what would happen if Spyro didn't save Cynder?**

Skinned Alive

* * *

Cynder placed the crystal in the chamber. It spun around and dissolved. "My master returns."

Spyro and Sparx landed on the platform. "Oh no. We're too late!" said Spyro.

Cynder turned around. "Humph. Persistent little fellow, aren't you? No mercy this time." The large black dragon took an offensive stance.

"Bring it!" said Spyro as he got into a defensive stance.

Sparx turned around and shook his head. "I can't watch this..."

Cynder swiped at Spyro with her left claw. Spyro ducked and used his earth breath to seriously hurt her. She became stunned and Spyro froze her with his fire breath. She broke free and swiped with her tail. Spyro was hit and he smashed one of the nearby crystals to heal himself. He jumped behind Cynder and hit her with his horns. She screamed in pain and turned her head. She breathed a deadly black fire that Spyro had just enough time to avoid. He used his electric breath to trap her in a cage. As Cynder spun around in the air, Spyro used his fire fury to severely hurt her. Cynder shook off the attack and took flight.

She breathed balls of black fire as she flew. Spyro took the opportunity to destroy more crystals and regain his strength. Cynder landed and tried to bite him. Spyro dodged and bit her tail. "Ow! You little punk!" She tried to shake him off, but Spyro held on strong. He finally let go and breathed his earth attack on her. She raised her hind-leg and tried to stomp on him. She crushed his tail but he got away. Spyro breathed electricity and hit Cynder in the head. She stood paralyzed until Spyro felt something deep with in himself.

Cynder took flight and shot many black fire balls at him. Spyro released a purple bolt from his mouth and hit Cynder. She roared in pain as she was hit. "What the? Did I do that? Nice!" Spyro avoided Cynder's attacks he continuously hit her with his new power. Eventually, he heard Ignitus' voice. 'And now... to release the true dragon within you...' Spyro used his new power to make a black sphere tear Cynder open from the inside. Many large Spyro heads flew out and continuously hit Cynder. They continued to hit her until her flesh began to peel. Cynder screamed in agony as her scales fell of and she was a fleshy mess. She tried her hardest to stay flying. Her skin then came off, then her muscles. Her flesh continued to tear off from her body. She wailed in despair. Spyro took the chance as he jumped forward and pierced Cynder's exposed heart with his horn. Spyro landed and watched as Cynder's corpse rotted away. He was panting heavily as he relaxed.

Sparx cheered for joy. "WWOOO! Way to go, Spyro! You did it! She's dead! Yahoo! You kicked her butt!"

Spyro felt guilty. "Yeah.. I did... Though I feel like I could have helped her..."

Sparx flew down to Spyro's eye level to comfort him. "Hey. Don't feel too bad, buddy. You did what you had to do."

"I guess I did. Come on, Sparx. Let's get out of here." He felt the ground shake. "Oh no! This place is falling apart! We have to leave now!" He flew towards the portal that he came through.

"Right behind ya, buddy!" Sparx said as he followed Spyro.

As Spyro flew away, he heard a menacing voice. "Spyyyyyrrooooooo..."

Back at the forest...

Spyro and Sparx flew out of the portal and landed in the forest. They were both knocked out as they crashed into a tree.

Two young creatures crawled out from under a tree. One of them was a woman with red hair, brown eyes, goat legs, cloven hooves, brownish skin, and a beautiful face. The other was a man with reddish skin, curly hair, brown eyes, a pointed beard, horns on his forehead, cloven hooves, goat legs with glossy black hair, a strange but pleasant face, a long tail, and was somewhat short. The male carried a flute in one hand and an umbrella in the other. They walked up to the purple dragon and the dragonfly. Their hooves clacked loudly as they walked. "Are they still alive?" asked the female. She knelt down to get a closer look.

"Be careful, sister," said the cautios male. "He might bite you."

"Don't be a wimp, Tumnus. He looks hurt. Let's get them inside the house."

"As you wish, sister."

* * *

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: Don't get butt hurt because we killed off Cynder! We do not own Mr. Tumnus. He is a character from the Chronicles of Narnia.**


	2. New Friends

Another Road

**Stephanie Wyrm: I'm glad we finally got a story that Scarlett likes! :-)**

New Friends

* * *

Spyro stirred as he slowly woke up. "Wha? What happened?" There was a small fire in front of him. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the light. "Sparx? Where are you?" After his eyes were workiing right. He looked around and saw that he was in a small yet comfortable home. There was a rug, a sofa, a large collection of books, a chair with a reading lamp, and a TV. He saw a hollow door way leading to other sections of the house. A boulder stood at one section of the wall. He saw a fire place with a strange creature taking soup out of the pot. "Umm... Excuse me?"

The creature turned to look at Spyro. "At last, you're awake," he said. "You're lucky we found you. You were badly injured."

Spyro tried standing, but a surge of pain made him yelp. He finally saw that he had several bandages on his legs and torso. "Wow... I didn't realize how bad that fight was."

"You should get some rest." The creature placed a bowl of hot soup in front of Spyro. "Here. Eat up. You need to get your strength up."

Spyro blew into the soup to cool it down. He drank the soup like a dog. "Thank you. My name is Spyro."

"A pleasure. I'm Mr Tumnus."

"Hey. Where's Sparx?"

"I assume you mean your little friend. My sister is treating his wounds in her bedroom. He had a concussion. He'll be fine though." Mr Tumnus smiled and went to sit on the sofa. He read a book that was set down earlier. "So what happened to you?"

Spyro tried to think. "Umm. I was fighting a dragon named Cynder. We were in a strange realm... I know this might sound crazy to you."

"Not at all. I have heard of Cynder. You actually fought him?"

"Her. Cynder was a girl," Spyro corrected. "I killed her."

Mr Tumnus was surprised. "You killed the terror of the skies?" A big smile formed on his face.

"I guess so."

"Wow. It seems we might have a chance at surviving after all." Spyro turned to see a female of the same species as Mr Tumnus. "Hi. My name's Elora. You said your name is Spyro, right?"

"Yeah, it is. Hey. Forgive me for being rude, but what are you guys?" Spyro asked. "I'v never seen creatures like you before."

Elora laughed. "We're fauns. We don't normally make ourselves known, but we're all over the place."

"Where do they live?"

"Under trees mostly. We hide the entrance so it'll be hard to find us," said Mr Tumnus.

"Under trees? We're underneath a tree?"

"It's called a burrow," said Elora. "It's really warm in here."

"And when it rains, we just go deeper into the burrow until it stops," Mr Tumnus said.

Sparx suddenly flew in. "Spyro! There you are, buddy! This place is cool! They have something here called a shower! I've never felt so clean before!"

"Sparx! You're okay! Are you hurt?!"

"I took a blow to the noggin, but luckilly, there's no brain damage."

"I think that's because you need to have a brain first in order to damage it," Spyro joked.

"Exactly! Wait... What?!"

Elora chuckled as she watched. "Haha. You guys are dorks!"

Meanwhile...

Ignitus arrived at the dragon temple where Cyril, Terrador, and Volteer were waiting. He stepped through the massive doors. "Ignitus, there you are!" Terrador said.

"Where is Spyro?" asked Cyril.

Ignitus paused. He said, "Spyro has followed Cynder into the realm of Convexity. I don't know what has happened though. They may still be fighting."

"Oh dear, this is absolutely horrible! It's ludicrus! It's prepo-"

"Calm down, Volteer," said Terrador.

"If Spyro does not return by dawn, we shall go to Warfang to send a search party," Ignitus said.

Back at the burrow...

Spyro had managed to get on the sofa with Elora's help. He watched Tom and Jerry on TV with Sparx and Elora. Mr Tumnus was reading a book. "Hey, this is funny!" said Sparx.

"I'm surprised you guys haven't heard of television before!" said Elora.

"I barely learned I was a dragon last month!" said Spyro.

"What?"

"Long story. I'll tell you later." They suddenly heard a loud noise coming from outside. "What was that?!"

"I don't know. Let's go check it out, Tumnus!" said Elora.

"Right behind you, sister." They moved the boulder out of the way from the entrance. They crawled out from under the tree and saw five large dogs dressed in pirate gear. "Uh oh."

"Not these guys again..."

* * *

**Stephanie Wyrm: OH MY GOD! A CLIFF HANGER! D-:**


	3. Serenity

Another Road

**Holly Thomas: I'm going to try my hardest at this story!**

Serenity

* * *

The hounds drooled as they eyed the fauns. "Oh man! I left my knife in my room!" said Elora.

"Get back in the house!" Mr Tumnus managed to yell. He turned around and tried running back in.

A large hound grabbed him by the shoulders and held a firm grip. "Get the girl!" he said.

"Leave my sister alone!" The hound ran away with Tumnus in his arms.

"Back off!" Elora tried fighting them off. She kicked one in the groin with her powerful goat legs and he collapsed in pain. "I won't let you take u-" An even larger hound appeared and knocked out Elora.

He wore red fatigues and a captain's hat. His left leg and right arm were missing, in their place were a gattlinggun and a hook with a chain respectively. On his shoulders were a red parrot and a green parrot. "Ha! That'll teach that ho!" said the green parrot in an uneducated voice.

"Yes. She was rather annoying." the red parrot said with a sophisticated voice.

The captain babbled incomprehensibly. "Shut up, fool!" said the green parrot.

"Inspect the house. There may be others."

The idiot captain squeezed through the narrow opening and saw Spyro and Sparx watching T.V. He jumped up and down in excitement as he slobbered all over the place.

"Who are you people?!" Spyro asked in fright. He tried to stand up but his wounds wouldn't let him.

"Oh great. Mutts," said Sparx. The captain grabbed Spyro and threw him over his shoulder. He also trapped Sparx in a lantern. "Hey! Let me out!"

"Put us down!" The weakened Spyro was helpless to fight back as he was carried away.

Meanwhile...

Ignitus, Terrador, and Volteer were waiting in the sleeping quarters of the temple. "Where is Cyril?" Terrador asked impatiently.

"He said he knows some one who can help. They should be back soon."

"Alas, I have returned!" They all turned around to see Cyril coming in with a cheetah wearing a hood and carrying a bow.

"Cyril!" they all said at once.

"Who is this, Cyril?" asked Terrador.

"My name is Hunter," the cheetah said. "I am a friend of Cyril's. He said you needed help finding the purple dragon?"

"Yes. Spyro has not yet returned. I fear something has happened to him," said Ignitus.

"I see. I'll do whatever I can to bring him back safely. Do you have a sample I can use to find his scent?"

"Yes." Ignitus walked out of the room and the others followed. He walked into the egg vault and picked up an empty nest. "This is the nest that held Spyro's egg seven years ago. It should still have his scent."

Hunter took the egg from Ignitus' hands and sniffed it. "Hmmm. I have it! I'll begin my search immediately! I'll come back as soon as I find him." He put down the egg and jumped out the window into the evening light.

"Thank you, Hunter."

Two hours later...

Elora groaned as she slowly woke up. "Where am I?" She was sitting on the wooden floor of a large deck. Strong bars stopped any one from getting through. "What happened?" She looked around and saw Spyro, Mr Tumnus, and Sparx in seperate cages. (Sparx was in a lantern.) "Tumnus! Spyro! Sparx! What happened?!"

"I don't know," said Spyro. "Some big dog carried me onto this ship that was flying in the sky. He threw me in here and then you woke up."

"It was Skabb!" said Mr Tumnus.

"Who?" asked Sparx.

"A pirate who kidnaps people to make them fight for his entertainment. He isn't too bright, but he's very powerful."

"We have to fight? But I can barely move!"

"That's too bad!" A medium sized hound appeared next to the cage. "If you fight, you might die. If you don't fight, you WILL die! Now come on! Your first match is starting!"

At the arena...

Skabb sat on the judge's chair as many people cheered. His red parrot cleared his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the arena! Today, we have a very special guest!"

"Get on with it, fool!"

"Presenting the challenger, Spyro the purple dragon!"

The gates opened and Spyro limped his way to the ring. The audience booed at the sight. "How can they possibly expect me to fight?!"

"Boo! That's no dragon!"

"And behold our fresh meat! She looks an ape, but she is not as hairy! Presenting the unstable warrior, Lady Serenity the elf!"

The other gates opened and a warrior wearing shining white crusader armor stepped in. She carried a short sword in her sheath.

"I'm dead," said Spyro.

The audience chanted. "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Lady Serenity slowly walked up to Spyro. "I am so dead!"

She spoke through her helmet. "The sun is setting. It is almost time."

"Time?"

"Here. You're hurt." She raised her palm and Spyro was surrounded by a white sphere. He felt his wounds heal instantly. His bandages fell off and he had no cuts or bruises.

"How did you do that?" he asked astonished.

"Now is not the time. When I say strike, you strike the captain," she whispered. "I'll get us out of here."

"Ready! Fight!"

Neither Spyro nor Serenity moved. "Hey! Didn't you fools hear him?! Are ya death?!"

Serenity watched as the new moons appeared. She counted down. "Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One!" The sun completely disappeared behind the mountains. White rays flew out of Lady Serenity. Her light flew out from her body for ten seconds. Her shining white armor turned as black as the void.

Spyro watched in fear as she changed.

Her voice remained the same as she spoke. "I am Null Serenity! Master of Nothingness! Strike!"

* * *

**Holly Thomas: I created Serenity. She can not be used without my permission.**


	4. Help from Above

Another Road

**Holly Thomas: Some people may be confused here.**

Help from Above

* * *

Null Serenity leaped into the air and a bladed disk appeared in her right hand. Hounds ran towards her and she spun around in a deadly tornado with the disk at her side, causing fatal wounds to any nearby enemies. The disk turned into a war axe and she did a back flip, killing two apes.

Spyro swung his tail as the hounds came to him. He threw one into the air with his horns and jumped up with it. He kicked it twice, causing it to spins, he then kicked away to crash into three other hounds. "Take that!" He tried breathing fire... but got nothing. "Huh?! What the-" A big hound swatted Spyroand he fell to the ground unconcious.

Serenity jumped to the balcony to confront Skabb. "This is it, cretin!"

"Don't underestimate us!" said the red bird.

"That's right fool! We can take you on! Get up, lazy bones!" said the black bird.

Skabb stood up and lifted his leg with the gattling gun. He opened fire and Serenity ducked under a chair. She lifted her axe and sliced the tunic of Skabb's coat. The dumb hound tried hitting her with his chained hook, but Serenity grabbed the chain and spun Skabb around. She spun him faster and faster until she finally let go and he went crashing into the gate. "Bingo!" Serenity looked down and saw Spyro out cold in the arena. "Skabb will have to wait for another day. I need to get that dragon out of here!" She took a small white object from her belt sndpressed the button. "Hummingbird, this is Demi. Requesting back up!" She jumped down and picked up Spyro. She put her palm over his face. "Hmmm. His friends are held in the starboard dungeon. I better rescue them too." She threw the purple dragon over her shoulder and ran to the broken gate. Her axe shrank to be carried in one hand. She killed any hounds that came her way and fought through the halls. She eventually reached the cell where the others were. "Are you this dragon's friends?"

"Spyro! What happened to him?!" asked Sparx.

"Is he injured?" asked Mr Tumnus.

"Who are you?!" Elora demanded.

"No time to explain! We have to get out of here!" She kicked the cell door open and let Sparx out of the lamp. "Follow me!" They all followed Serenity back to the arena. More hounds appeared and surrounded them.

"So how does this save us exactly?" Elora asked.

There was a crash and two humans appeared. One was an aged man with brown hair, a brown coat, brown pants, and brown boots, he was equipped with a long whip. The other was a man with with white hair, white shoes, blue jeans, a black shirt, and a white coat, he was equipped with a baselard. "We're here!" they both said.

The man in brown swung his whip with deadly foorcs. Any hounds who were hit died instantly. The man in white was surrounded by twelve hounds. He smirked and swung his baselard, killing them all. Blue orbs flew out of the hounds' dead bodies and entered the man in white. A human female with red clothes and blond hair appeared. She swung a small staff and injured the hounds. The man in white was hit by a large hound.

"Soma! Are you okay?!" asked the man in brown.

"I'm fine, Julius! Watch this!" Soma killed the large hound and a red orb entered his body. "Let's see what this can do! I summon the familiar great hound!" A spectral large hound appeared and eliminated dozens of enemies.

Julius hovered into the air and a large white cross appeared, incapacitating many enemies. He floated back down to catch his breath. "Growing old is a terrible thing. Yoko, cover me!"

The blond woman shot lightning from her hands and the spell homed in on all the remaining enemies. Yoko took a deep breath. "We did it!"

They all heard a low growl. "Not yet," said Soma. Some rubble moved and Skabb crawled out of the mess. "This one's mine!" Skabb swung his sword blindly and Soma easily ducked. Soma slashed at Skabb's knees for a while and jumped back. "Merman!" Soma spit a powerful stream of water that pierced Skabb's torso and came out the other end. Skabb fell down in defeat and a yellow orbs escaped his body and flew into Soma's. "Now we're done," he said.

"What was that?!" Elora asked.

"We'll explain later," said Julius.

"Yeah, Aluca... I mean... Genya Arikado is waiting," said Yoko.

"Gather around." They all got close to Serenity and became engulfed in a black portal. The were suddenly inside of a large war plane.

"What the? Where are we?" asked Sparx.

"This is the Hummingbird, our method of transportation," said Soma.

"It's about time you got back. I'm tiredof flying this thing," said the man at the wheel. He had pale skin, black hair, an impossibly beautiful face, and wore a black agent suit.

"Give it a rest, Arikado," said Soma. "I'll take the wheel if you're tired."

"I'm never tired, Soma. You know that," said Arikado.

Elora couldn't take it anymore. "Will someone please explain what's going on here?!"

* * *

**Holly Thomas: A box of cookies for anyone who knows what game series the people are from! A humongous train load of cookies for any one who can guess what exact games they are from!**


	5. The OmniTemple

Another Road

**Stephanie Wyrm: Not much to say.**

The Omni-Temple

* * *

Spyro came to. He fluttered his eyes open and found himself in a strange room. "What the? Again?" He looked around. He was in a warm bed in a large tribal style room. "Sparx? Elora? Mr Tumnus? Hello? Anyone?" He heard movement and sat up scared. "Who's there?!"

"It's okay! I'm a friend!" A young pretty human girl opened the door and came in with a tray of food. She had red shoulder length hair and wore a red and white kimono. She closed the door and took a few steps forward. She bowed and said, "Hello, Spyro. My name is Mina." She stood next to Spyro and set the tray in front of him. She bowed again and sat infront of him in the lotus position.

"Wow," said Spyro as he saw the food on the tray. There was bread, rice, chicken soup, and steamed vegetables. "Is that for me?"

Mina nodded. "It's custom for a resident of the temple to eat with a guest." She grabbed the bread and broke it in half. "Are you hungry?" she asked with her hand held out with one of the bread halves.

Spyro's stomach rumbled and answered for him. "Now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry! Thank you." He took the bread from her hand and they both began eating the two halves. "So where are-"

Spyro was cut off by Mina putting a finger on his lips. She then smiled and put her finger to her own lips as a gesture for silence. Spyro understood and they continued eating silently. They ate for twenty minutes until all the food was gone. Mina wiped her mouth properly and put doen her napkin.

"That was a great meal," said Spyro.

Mina stood on her feet and bowed. "You honor me, Spyro. May I ask what you were going to say while we were eating?"

"Oh yeah, that's right," Spyro remembered. "I was wondering where my friends are?"

"They are in their own rooms with other residents. Your flying friend is with Lady Serenity."

"My flying friend? You mean Sparx?"

"The small golden one?" Mina asked. Spyro nodded. "Yes. The male faun is with Yoko Belnades. And the female is with Julius Belmont."

Spyro held his head in one paw. "My head is killing me. What happened?"

"You were overwhelmed in Skabb's ship. Null Serenity summoned the Night Hunters and they saved you from death."

"Night Hunters?"

"That will be explained later."

"What happened to Skabb?"

"His soul was absorbed by Soma."

Spyro jumped back. "Absorbed?"

"You'll understand everything soon enough. Let's go. Your friends are waiting."

"Thank you." Spyro got up and followed Mina out of the room. They were in a large grey circular room with large pillars. "Where are they?" asked Spyro.

"They must already be at the shrine. Follow me please." Spyro and Mina entered a long hallway with porcelain pillars and stained glass windows. One window showed a man with black hair holding a dead woman in his arms. Another showed the same man crying out to the sky. Another showed the man crawling out of the ground. Another showed the man in a coffin with the sun over head.

"What's with the windows?" Spyro asked.

"They tell a story," said Mina. "Long ago, Mathias Cronqvist was a warrior for the church. One day when he came home after a long battle, he learned that his fiance had died of an illness. Angry, he felt betrayed by God. He grew to hate his creator and swore revenge. He used black magic to turn himself into a vampire. He changed his name to Dracula and became the Dark Master."

"The Dark Master?!" Spyro asked surprised. "The same one we're fighting now?!"

"So some believe, but I am not sure. Here we are." They stood in front of two large doors.

"How do we get in? Those doors are too heavy to push open!" said Spyro.

"True. Only one person in this temple is strong enough." Mina closed her eyes. "Itrenore, we wish to pass." The door on the left slowly began opening. Spyro watched as he saw a muscular dragon push the door open wide enough for Spyro and Mina. Spyro and Mina passed through the doors and the dragon used its jaws to shut the door again. "Thank you, Itrenore," said Mina. They both bowed at each other.

Itrenore was a large white dragon. The dragon had two ivory horns and the wings and underbelly were green. The left eye was green and the right one was blue. Itrenore stood at average height but had an enormous build. This dragon was at least three times as muscular as Terrador. Every muscle was so large that it almost looked cartoonish. Some veins could actually be seen in certain places.

"Wow," said Spyro. "You're ripped!"

Itrenore smiled and spoke with a woman's voice. "Thanks. I try to stay fit."

"Whoa!" Spyro fell back in surprise. "You're... You're a girl?!"

Itrenore frowned. "Yes I am, for a matter of fact! Who says females can't be buff?!"

Mina intervened. "Please, dear Watcher. I'm sure he meant no offense." She then turned to Spyro. "Spyro, apologize to the watcher."

Spyro got up and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to seeing a female with muscles."

Itrenore bowed. "You are forgiven for your naivete."

The three of them walked up to a large shrine in the room. The shrine was shaped like the sun and the moon being connected by a bridge. A yellow dragon and a black dragon sat in front of the shrine. Itrenore sat with them. The black dragon smiled. She had a slim figure and brown eyes. Her wings and chest were also brown. "Greetings, Spyro," she said. "My name is Ashkor. I am a Watcher of the Omni-temple."

Spyro bowed, "Hello, Ashkor. May I ask what this place is?"

"Patience, child," said Ashkor. "You are a guest. Be still and be calm. This temple has three Watchers. I am Ashkor the Peaceful."

"I am Itrenore the Strong."

The yellow dragon didn't talk. "What's wrong with him?" Spyro asked.

"He can not speak," said Mina.

"This is my brother, Ortinbras the Wise," said Itrenore.

Ortinbras gave a single nod to Spyro. He was yellow with silver wings and a silver chest. His eyes were blue. All three Watchers appeared to be young adults.

"The Omni-temple is a place of recluse. You were brought here by the Night Hunters," said Ashkor.

"Spyro, there you are!" Spyro heard a familiar voice and turned around to see Sparx flying towards him.

"Sparx!" Spyro happily gave his foster brother a hug with his wings. "It's great to see you're okay!"

"Hey, what about us?!" Elora came down the hall smiling. Her brother was right behind her.

"This place is strange," said Mr Tumnus.

Spyro smiled even more. "Elora! Mr Tumnus! You guys aren't hurt!"

Meanwhile, Soma and Arikiado were watching from the back of the room. "They sure seem happy," said Soma.

Arikado nodded. "It brings sorrow to know what trials they'll be facing soon enough."

* * *

**Stephanie Wyrm: Thank you, NoOneToWorryAbout for giving us our dragon names! The Watchers are based on us. Ortinbras is Sinrah, Itrenore is me, and Ashkor is Holly.**


	6. Night Hunters

Another Road

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: The characters are from Castlevania.**

Night Hunters

* * *

Spyro and Elora sat side-by-side in the auditorium of the Omni-Temple. "So what do you think we do now?" Elora asked.

"I guess we wait until someone explains why we're here." Elora kept looking at Spyro. He noticed and asked, "What?"

Elora shook her head. "Nothing. I just think you're kinda cute."

Spyro blushed and looked away. "Umm uh... Thanks... You're cute too."

Julius, Yoko, Lady Serenity, Soma, and Genya Arikado walked in and stood in front of the two. "Welcome, Spyro," said Yoko. "No doubt you have questions?"

"Yeah, I do. Just what is this place and why am I here?"

"The Omni-Temple is a temple that exists in every world, Spyro," said Arikado. "Each gate takes you to another world. The world you come from is the world of the dragons."

"You're here because the purple dragon of legend is needed to aid us in the fight against the Dark Master," said Julius.

"Is this same Dark Master we're fighting in my own world?"

"Yes and no," said Yoko. "Dracula was a human who lived on a world called Earth. That's where we're from. He wielded the Crimson Stone which turned him into the Dark Master. He was a threat to not only earth, but every world in existence."

"I am Julius Belmont of the Belmont clan. Ever since the creation of Dracula, my family swore to hunt the night and defeat Dracula whenever he shall rise. Dracula was killed by the first of the Belmonts, and every one hundred years he returns to be defeated by us again. One hundred and twenty years ago, Ricther Belmont found a way to end Dracula's regeneration cycle. He destroyed him utterly and the threat known as Dracula was finally dead. However, we were warned of a prophecy. Dracula's dark castle, known as Castlevania, needs a Dark Master at all times, so when Dracula should have moved on to the afterlife, his soul was instead reincarnated. The Dark Master we fight now, Malefor, was born the very day Dracula died."

"In other words," said Lady Serenity. "Malefor IS Dracula!"

"Oh, Jesus!" said Elora.

"Why would he be reincarnated into a different world?" Spyro asked.

"Because Castlevania is just like the Omni-Temple, it exists in all worlds," said Arikado.

"So the Night Hunters are?..."

"Residents of the Omni-Temple who serve to stop the Dark Master from causing havoc. The Watchers make sure the Temple stays safe," said Soma.

"Well Julius gave his introduction," said Lady Serenity. "The rest of us should introduce ourselves." She took off her helm to reveal a pretty face with blond hair and pointed ears. Her eyes were a light blue. "Hello, I am Serenity."

"I remember you," said Spyro. "You went through a weird transformation when we met. What was that?"

"Well... I'm an elf, the child of a human and a demon. My form changes with the sky. During the day, I am in my Lady form and have powers of light. Under nightfall, I take my Nocturnal form and wield powers of Darkness. During the new moons, I become Null, an amoral being with the powers of nothingness. And during the full moons, I become Pure and gain powers of healing."

"I'm Yoko Belnades, a witch from the Belnades family. We've fought alongside the Belmonts for generations."

"I'm Soma Cruz."

"Didn't Mina mention something about you absorbing Skabb's soul?" Spyro asked.

Soma chuckled. "She told you about that, did she? I was born with a weird power called the Power of Dominance. It allows me to absorb and control the souls of any of my fallen enemies. No one knows why I have this power though."

"All you need to know about me is that my name is Genya Arikado and I work for the government," Arikado said coldly.

"I'm Spyro, but I guess you guys already know about me."

"I feel like I'm in A.A. again," said Elora.

"You're an alcoholic?" asked Spyro.

"No. I used to go there with my dad before he left. Anyway, my name is Elora. I'm just a regular faun who happened to be in the wrong place at the right time."

"Now that we've all gotten acquainted, it's time to get down to business," said Arikado. "Spyro, we need your help. If Malefor isn't stopped, he'll destroy all of existence. I know you have your own life to think about, but you may not have a life in a few months. Will you help us?"

Spyro didn't hesitate. "It doesn't seem like I have much of a choice."

They all heard a loud crash followed by screaming. Sparx flew around at high speeds for dear life while being chased by Itenore. "I thought you were a guy! I'm sorry for calling you 'dude'!"

* * *

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: Just felt like adding comedy at the end. Our birthday was last Tuesday!**


	7. The First Date

Another Road

**Holly Thomas: There's a two month jump here.**

The First Date

* * *

It was a little passed noon. The purple dragon sat in the courtyard of the Omni-Temple. He had grown quite a bit in the time he was there. In his paw was a bouquet of moon orchids. He was sweating a little from nervousness. "I feel sick. Maybe this was a bad idea." He turned around and began walking. "I'll just tell Elora I came down... with... Oh, my God..." Spyro's jaw dropped in amazement from what he saw. Elora was walking out of the door from the temple and into the courtyard. "She looks amazing."

Indeed, Elora was well prepared for the occasion. She was wearing a blue dress shirt instead of a green one, it matched her sapphire eyes perfectly. Her brown hair was worn in a ponytail. Even a blind man could see that she had polished her hooves, which made a rhythmic clacking sound on the cobblestone pavement. She was no more than fifty yards away from Spyro (It's a VERY big courtyard) and drew closer with every step. Spyro was immobilized by the sight of the beautiful faun. Her hooves were now silent as she walked on the soft wet grass. She wore a pleasant yet nervous smile on her face. Elora came to a halt when she and Spyro were a foot apart. They both looked at each other nervously. She had her hands behind her back. "Hey, Spyro."

He finally snapped out of his trance. "Um, hi, Elora! You came!" Spyro previously was as high as Elora's knees, but now he was level with her waist.

"Of course, I did! You invited me after all."

Spyro laughed nervously. "Oh right. Umm. I got you these." He stuck out his paw and presented the bouquet.

"For me? Thank you!" Elora happilly grabbed the flowers and sniffed them. "Mmm. These smell heavenly! I love orchids!" She sniffed them again to get good whiff of their scent.

"Yeah. Your brother told me you like them. Serenity helped me pick them for you."

Elora lost all nervousness. "That was sweet of you, Spyro. They're so beautiful."

"It was nothing. I just felt like I should make it up to you, seeing how it's kind of my fault you're stuck here," he honestly said.

The faun sighed and brushed Spyro's head with he hand. "Spyro, it wasn't your fault. We just happened to get tagged along. Besides, this place is way better than my old house! They get wi-fi here!"

"What's wi-fi?"

Elora shrugged her shoulders. "I dunno."

They both cracked up. "Talk about an ice breaker!" They both strutted down the yard and and just talked for a while. "You won't believe the training I had to today."

"What happened?"

"Well first Julius had me dodge his whip for what seemed like an hour. He got me a few times."

"Where?" Spyro showed Elora his other paw, which was covered in bandages. "Does it hurt?"

"It's not too bad. How was your day?" he asked to changed the subject.

"Well, your bro tried peeping in my shower."

"What? ! Sparx did that? He didn't see anything, did he?"

She shook her head with a smirk. "No. I hit him with a towel and he flew off crying."

Spyro his head in disbelief. "Sparx is a moron sometimes." They both walked past a few hedges and found themselves in an impossibly beautiful and enormous garden. They looked around in awe at the sight. Everywhere they looked was filled with life. Spyro looked up to see Elora standing in wonder. "Do you like playing games, Elora?"

"Games? What kind of games?" She looked down to listen better.

"Any kind of games."

Elora pondered the thought for a moment. "I remember when I was a kid, I loved playing Hide-and-seek. I could play for hours in the forest." The memory filled her with delight. "I loved being able to climb into small places and just wait while my friends tried to find me. My hooves caused a problem for me." She sat down with Spyro on the grass on still thought about her childhood. "Then I got bigger, and hiding was harder. Finally, we all just outgrew the game. It was fun while it lasted."

"I used to play that same game with Sparx in the swamp. It was actually from playing that game that one day I learned that I was a dragon. It changed my life." They both just sat and sighed about their past. After a while, Spyro began sniffing. "Hey. Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Elora tried sniffing, but all she smelled was the many plants in the garden.

"I smell food." Spyro stood and began sniffing around. "This way!" Elora got up and followed Spyro through the garden. They both ran through the vines and ducked under low branches. They kept running until they stopped in front of a white table underneath a black sun protection tarp. Two chairs sat on opposite ends. A vase sat on the table that was filled with water but had no flowers. Spyro and Elora both saw Mina and Ortinbras putting covered plates on the table. "Wow..."

Mina saw them and smiled. She took the orchids out from Elora's hands and set the bouquet in the vase. "You two are just in time! We heard about your date, so we decided to help." Ortinbras smiled and nodded. He lifted the metal covers to reveal two large steaks, each with a salad. "Enjoy!" Mina and the Watcher both left Spyro and Elora to each other's company.

Spyro sat in one of the chairs at one end of the table. Spyro's chair was still hit by some sun light, but he felt like being a gentle man and let Elora have the shaded chair. "This looks delicious! Are you hungry, Elora?"

"I am, actually." She sat down in the other chair and put the napkin in her lap. "Shall we?" They both cut a piece from their steak and took a bite... then immediately spat it back out. "Oh, God this is horrible!"

"Uggh! It's like I swallowed my own vomit!" Spyro coughed and accidentally set fire to his napkin. "Yikes!"

"Put it out! Put it out!"

Spyro tried breathing his ice breath. "It's not working!" Elora grabbed the vase and threw it all over Spyro, drenching him and putting out the fire. "Hey!" Spyro shook the water off himself like a dog and got Elora all wet.

"Hey! This is a new shirt!" Elora grabbed the glass of water she had and splashed it all over Spyro.

"Cut it out!" Spyro grabbed his own glass and splashed Elora.

"Stop it!" The both looked at each other with annoyance. They stayed like that until finally Elora started giggling.

"What's so funny?" asked Spyro.

She still giggled. "You should see yourself right now!"

Spyro began laughing too. "He-he. We both look like we just went for a swim!" He grabbed the pitcher of water and splashed some on Elora.

Elora only laughed harder. "We must look so ridiculous right now!" She threw the rest of the water on Spyro. "This is so much fun!"

Spyro looked to his right and grinned. He saw a large beautiful white fountain. He looked at Elora and saw that she was grinning too. "Ready. Set."

Elora bolted for the fountain. "Go!"

Spyro ran after her laughing. "Hey! No fair!"

They both jumped into the fountain and had a delightful time. They were splashing each other back and forth like little kids, all the laughing hysterically.

Mr Tummnus stood watching from a window with Ashkor. He was smiling. "It's a miracle. I haven't seen my sister truly having fun in a long time."

"That's what happens when you meet new people, Mr Tumnus."

* * *

**Holly Thomas: We had you going, thinking they were going to fight, huh?**

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: There was a bit of an inside joke in this chapter. I suck at cooking.**


	8. The Order

Another Road

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: We shall see just what the Omni-Temple is for!**

The Order

* * *

Darkness filled the basement save for the lone flicker ofcandle light coming from the stairs. Genya Arikado walked down the ten steps that turned at the bottom. Elora and Spyro were following right behind him with nervousness and uncertainty. "Come. We're almost there." They continued to follow him through the cramped room cluttered with dust and cob-webs, rats could be heard scampering around in the corner. Arikado approached a wine rack that seemed no different than the others. "Remember how to do this, you two. I won't repeat it for you." The female faun and the purple dragon watched closely as he removed two bottles from opposite corners and put them in each others' slot, then he took another bottle from the far left of the middle collumn and placed it in the center of the bottom collumn, finally he took the two bottles he switched earlier and switched them back. They all heard a click and the entire section of wall that held the rack lifted and slid high up until the rack bumped against the ceiling. "Right this way." Arikado ducked under the raised wall and the others followed. Spyro only had to lower his head slightly to get through.

"Just what is so important that you had to wake us in the middle of the night anyway?" asked Elora who was still in a night gown. They all had to huddle together in the small hall way with barely enough room to open their arms.

Spyro didn't mind being this close to Elora to be honest. He enjoyed her company. Not to mention he was walking right behind her. "I don't know. I'm actually enjoying the view."

"Excuse me?" Elora stopped walking from hearing this comment.

"Oh shit, was that out loud?" Spyro asked.

Arikado shook his head. "If you two are done, can we please keep moving?" Spyro and Elora both kept walking, all the while blushing madly. At the end of the hall was a wooden door. Arikado knocked and paused for three seconds.

They all heard a voice from behind the door. "Glare of the Day can be Fair enough to Play."

"The Light of the Night shine's just as Bright," Arikado responded.

The door was opened by Soma Cruz. "We're glad you could make it. Please come in."

The three entered a large round stone room with a radius of fifty yards. (If you can't do the math, from one end to the other is the length of a football field.) The two newcomers were in awe at the sight before them. Many corridors led out of the room, possibly to other entrances. The center of the room was many levels down, with stairs leading up to the outer portion of the room. The room had eight levels from the outer-most section to the center, with seats and tables at each level save for the outer-most level. There must have been at least one hundred people here, everyone sitting on different levels of the room. Julius, Nocturnal Serenity, and Yoko sat on the second lowest level along with a few others. Soma walked down the stairs to join them. Mina and others sat on the fifth level. Everyone on the eighth level had to stand. The three Watchers all sat at level one at the bottom. "What is this place?" Spyro and Elora asked at the same time.

"This is the Chamber. Members of the Order of Balance gather here once every ten days for meetings."

"Order of Balance?" Again they both spoke at the same time.

"The Omni-Temple is the bridge between all worlds and is required to keep the worlds at balance. The Order of Balance is made up of agents who serve the temple and make sure it's purpose is fulfilled."

"How come we haven't seen most of these people before?" asked Elora.

"Yeah, wouldn't we have seen them around?" Spyro asked.

"Most are usually out on missions due to every thing going on. The only reason we were around was to make sure you and your friends were comfortable. But when we are at peace, everyone can rest in the Temple until we are needed again. It's a small price to pay."

"Why does every floor seem more nice than the last?" Spyro asked.

"There are eight positions. The higher your position, the lower you sit, that way more people can see you. On this top level we have the associates, level H. The Night Hunters are level B and the Watchers are level A."

"How long does it take to go to a higher level?" asked Elora.

"However long it takes for you to prove you are worthy of promotion. As for the Watchers, only three people may be Watchers at one time. When the time comes for a new Watcher, the person is chosen among the Night Hunters via popular vote among levels C through H."

Spyro was truly amazed. "Wow... So why did you bring us here?"

"Because we have examined the two of you. You both have strong hearts and are capable of handling yourselves. Sparx and Mr Tumnus do not possess the will to be members." Arikado lifted one side of his lip, which is the closest thing to a smile you'll ever get from him. "Spyro, Elora, we envite you to join the Order of Balance."

They both gasped at the opportunity. "You mean I can help save the world?" Elora asked in amazement.

A member overheard. "Save the world? Are you kidding? You're going to help save the universe!" The woman had a unique appearence. She appeared to be a middle-aged human except that she had a strange pattern on her face and instead of hair she had long striped tendrals. She had tan skn and wore a red tube top, a green skirt, and brown boots. She carried a strange rod in her hand. "Hi. My name's Ahsoka Tano, Rider, level E." She shook Elora's hand and Spyro's paw.

"Hi. I'm Elora."

"I'm Spyro. What are you?"

"I'm a Togruta. My world was known as Shili."

"Was?" asked Elora.

"There are other threats besides the Dark Master. I was once a Jedi warrior until I was almost killed by my master. His name was Anikin. He was supposed to be a hero, then he turned and tried to rule the galaxy. He created a weapon capable of destroying entire worlds within seconds. He eventually redeemed himself and died a hero."

"What's that thing in your hand?" asked Spyro.

"Oh this thing?" She pressed a button on the rod and a beam of light came out with a whoosh, startling the newcomers. She then took an apple from her pocket and tossed it in thre air, slicing it in half as it fell back down. "Lightsaber. It can cut through anything."

"That's cool!" said Spyro.

"But wait..." said Elora. "How does the stop like that? Shouldn't it keep going for etern-"

"Don't ask questions," Ahsoka defended. She walked down to the fourth level and sat down.

Arikado grabbed Spyro and Elora by the shoulders. "If you two are done conversing, please come with me." They walked with him down to the bottom level where the Watchers sat. "Watchers, I have brought to you the newcomers for the Order."

"We've met them before, Genya, you don't have to introduce us," said Itrenore.

"Shush, Itrenore," said Ashkor. "Why can't you behave like your brother? Thank you, Arikado. You may take your seat."

"Thank you." Genya Arikado sat next to Julius with the Night Hunters.

"Spyro and Elora. You are worthy of joining our Order," said Ashkor. "For your heroism in defending the realm of Cyrocia from Cynder, you shall be placed in Level F, the Barbarians."

"Elora," Itrenore began, "you shall be placed among level H, the Associates."

"Wait! What?" said Spyro. "We can't be in the same group?"

"I'm sorry, but Elora has not proven herself worthy to be a Barbarian," said Itrenore.

"It's okay. I understand," said Elora.

"No! I'm sure if you give her a chance, Elora can show she has what it takes!"

Both female Watchers looked at Ortinbras. He gave a simple nod.

"Very well," said Ashkor. "You shall duel one of the Raiders of level G. If you succeed, you shall be a Barbarian along with Spyro."

"But if you fail," said Itrenore, "Spyro will be demoted and you shall both be Associates!"

Elora closed her eyes and sighed. "I accept."

* * *

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: Let's hope Elora can prove herself!**

**Stephanie Wyrm: Hmm... Did you use this chapter to say you're better than me?**

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: What do you mean?**

**Stephanie Wyrm: I'm talking about Ashkor's first line of dialogue in this chapter!**

**Sinrah Wyrm VI: Uhhhh... Run for your life!**


	9. Prove

Another Road

**Stephanie Wyrm: Not my best work...**

Prove

* * *

The hooks dangling from the ceiling certainly didn't feel very inviting. Elora was picking out her weapons from the rack. She grabbed the axe and weighed it in her hand. "No. Too bulky. What would be a good weapon that would help?" She picked up a sword made of iron and swung it around. "Too rusty. It'll snap in half with one good hit."

Spyro opened the door to the armory and walked in. "Elora? I'm sorry I got you into this."

"Eh, don't worry about it, Spyro. This is just a duel. It's not like we're fighting to the death. It's just like boxing except it isn't fixed!" Her blue eyes met his purple and they held an akward silence.

"I... I got some information on the guy you'll be fighting, Elora. He's a shape-shifter named Oolong."

"Shape-shifter? That doesn't sound reassuring." She grabbed a steel breast plate and slipped it on.

"But he actually flunked out of the shape-shifter's academy, so he can only be transformed for five minutes."

Elora put on a pair of steel gauntlets. She threw punches in the air to get a feel for the weight. "Well, a lot can happen in five minutes."

"Just try to avoid his attacks until his time runs out," said Spyro. "Then you give it all you got!"

"Thanks, Spyro. I'll be sure to take your advice." She finally chose her weapons from the rack. She took a long sword and fixed the sheath over her shoulder. She also armed herself with a sling, and she put on a horned helmet that covered her whole head except for her face. "How do I look?"

Spyro examined her. He liked seeing an armor-clad Elora, it made her seem more capable and independent. "Wow, you look incredible! I bet you could take on a tank!"

Elora smiled. "I don't know about that. Do you think I'm ready then?"

"Definitely! Good luck, Elora." He absent-mindedly planted a kiss on Elora's cheek. Elora put a hand on where she was kissed in shock, her mouth hung wide open, her eyes staring in disbelief. Spyro retreated in embarrassment. "Elora, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." He turned away in shame. "I'm sorry."

Elora watched while Spyro walked away. "Did he really just kiss me? Am I dreaming?" She had no time to ponder. She checked her equipment and left the armory.

Nocturnal Serenity waited impatiently. "It's about time. Ready to go?"

"Yeah. I guess."

Ten minutes later...

Elora stood on a small podium high above the water carrying a large baton. Everyone in the Order was watching from the bleachers. "I thought this was going to be a duel!"

"Yeah, but Ashkor said she doesn't want anyone to get hurt, so we changed the match to a baton battle," said Itrenore.

Elora's opponent stood on the podium infront of her. He looked like a tall and extremely muscular bald man with a grim face. His lower body was like a spider's, eight long legs held onto the pillar. He carried his baton in his human arms. "You're going down!"

"I hardly see how this is fair," said Elora.

"Begin!" shouted Ashkor.

Oolong swung his mighty baton down overhead, Elora blocked it and hit him in the chin. His arachnid legs prevented him from losing his balance and kept him on the podium. He smirked and swung at her knees. Elora jumped and avoided being tripped. She force her baton forward si she could smash one of the shape-shifter's leg, but he stopped the baton with two of his other legs. Elora tried uppercutting him, but he knocked the baton clear out of her hand, sending it into the pool below. She now stood unarmed with nowhere to go. The sitting duck wouldn't give up. She jumped and ducked during the entire fight, avoiding all of Oolong's blows. "Hold still!" he cried. She dodged for a minute, then two. Four whole minutes passed and she was still avoiding his blows. "Take this!" He brought the baton down and hit Elora on the head. She dropped to her knees and held her head in pain. Everyone who watched was booing. She waited for the finishing blow, but it never came. Elora looked up to see Oolong in his true form, a short pig wearing suspenders. He nervously waved. "Ehehehe... Hiya! So... uh. Let's call it a draw?"

"You're pathetic." Elora brought her left hoof up and kicked Oolong odd the podium. Everyone cheered as he splashed into the water.

"Congratulations!" said Itrenore.

"You are worthy to be a Barbarian!" said Ashkor. "You and Spyro both are to be given Barbarian badges. You may go on level F missions and below."

"In addition, you have access to the library and the first six floors of the temple," said Itrenore.

Elora bowed to the Watchers and cheered in excitement. "I won! Woohoo! Cannonball!" The happy faun curled into a ball, jumped off the podium, and made an enormous splash into the pool."

Spyro ran down from the bleachers to congratulate Elora. "Elora, wait up!" He turned and followed her as she walked down the hall. "Wait a moment, Elora!" She turned around smiling. "You did it! Way to go!"

She laughed lightly. "Thanks, Spyro. I'm having a really amazing time."

"And..." Spyro blushed. "I'm sorry about earlier. It came out of nowhere."

The faun decided to have some fun. "What was it you did again?"

"You know! I... kissed you..."

"Really? I don't remember that. Maybe if you demonstrated, I'll remember."

No one who saw Spyro right now would believe he was the purple dragon, his whole body was bright red. "Demostrate?"

"Sure! How did you kiss me?"

Spyro came closer. _Is this really happening?_ He leaned in and puckered his lips. _This must be a dream._

As soon as Spyro's lips came close to her cheek, Elora grabbed him and kissed him on the lips. Spyro was stunned at first. Holding the kiss, Elora wrapped her left arm around Spyro and put her right hand to his face. Spyro relaxed and kissed her back.

* * *

**Stephanie Wyrm: We were going to have Elora fight Dante from Devil May Cry, but we realized there's no way he would be a Raider! He would be a Night Hunter!**


	10. First Missions

Another Road

**Stephanie Wyrm: Okay, really sorry for the absence. I hope this makes up for it.**

First Missions

* * *

Spyro sat in the dining room eating with his friends. Sparx helped himself to some butterflies, Mr. Tumnus and Elora ate oyster stew, Spyro noticed Elora flashing flirtious glances at him making him blush. Yoko and Mina were both sharing stories of their latest missions. Julius and Genya Arikado played 3D chess in the corner of the dining room. Soma came in carrying a letter and a package. "Spyro, heads up!"

The purple dragon turned to greet the white-haired Night Hunter. "Soma? What's going on?"

"Your first mission as a barbarian." He put the box and envelope down on the table.

"Let me see that." Elora grabbed the envelope and broke the seal. She took out the letter and read it aloud. "Dear Barbarian, you have just received your first assignment. You are needed to go to the world of Hollow Bastion to assist the Restoration Commity in their battle against the Heartless. Please understand that this is a vital mission. Speak to Leon to receive further instructions. The supplies you'll need have been given to you. Good luck. Request sent by Rider Cid Highwind. Approved by Night Hunter Zarock."

Spyro opened the package and found a keychain. "What's this for?"

"You'll understand later, Spyro. Right now you need to go to Hollow Bastion." Soma began to dig in his pockets.

Spyro took the key chain in his paw. "Come on, Elora. Let's go!"

"Right behind you!" Elora got up from her seat and wiped her mouth. She cracked her back in preparation.

"Actually, Elora, I have another mission for you," said Soma. He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Elora. "I'm sorry to separate you guys, but your mission is more vital than Spyro's. We would have sent Spyro on your mission and vice-versa, but your mission requires hands."

Elora frowned as she toom the letter, but understood Soma's explanation. She broke the seal and read it out loud. "Dear Barbarian, you have just received your first assignment. You are needed in Insanity Island. You must help the Bandicoots scavange parts for a new weapon which will aid the Night Hunters. Please respond immediately. Request sent by Raider Coco Bandicoot. Approved by Night Hunter Dante." Elora folded the paper and tucked it into her new denim jacket. "Just what is the weapon for anyway?"

"It's needed so we can invade Castlevania when the time comes. They have the base equipment, but they need a few more parts. Please understand that your mission is crucial."

"Then why not send someone of higher rank?" Sparx asked.

"Because a Barbarian is good enough for the job," said Elora. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "See you in a bit, Spyro! Take care!"

"You too! Good luck!" Spyro leaned in forward and gave Elora a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon."

"I'm coming with!" Sparx got up and followed Spyro to the hall.

Elora cracked her neck and her arms. "Alright, so which way?"

"The portal to Insanity Island has an orange door in the hall. Be careful, the world may seem peaceful and cheery, but don't let the creatures overwhelm you. Coco will be outside her hut, typing on her laptop." Soma put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. Two large crows fluttered down from the ceiling, carrying a brown woman's cloak. They hovered behind the surprised faun and dropped the cloak over her shoulder. Feeling the fabrice made Elora smile while the birds flew away. "That cloak will disguise your legs and tail. A man named Neo Cortex is looking for animals to mutate, and he won't think twice about mutating a faun," Soma explained. "But we can't do anything about the sound of your hooves, so try to walk on soft ground so he won't hear you."

Elora slipped her arms into the sleeves and buttoned the collar so it would stay. She loved the feeling of the cloak, it was softer than anything she had ever felt. The cloak made her feel as if she could fall asleep even on a bed of sharp rocks. She took the time to appreciate the design, the cloak had three buttons to fasten in the front, including the collar button. It fell just below her hooves, but provided enough shadow to hide them from a quick glance. Floral patterns covered the entire back side, as well as the sides from the waist down. A belt wrapped around the waist with a large buckle in the front, Elora decided to close it. The sleeves got larger as they moved down, appearing like two bells. She found that the cloak had pockets on the inside instead of the outside. Finally, the cloak had a hood with dimensions perfect for her size, she left it down for now. She couldn't resist doing a quick twirl. "How do I look?" she asked.

"You look beautiful, Elora. I am sure Spyro will like it," said Mr. Tumnus.

"Thanks, bro. Hey, Soma, can I keep this when I'm done?"

"Of course," said Soma. "But right now you have to go."

"Right! See ya!" Elora ran to the hall.

"Good luck, sister!"

Soma walked to Arikado and Julius. "Who's winning?" The 3D chess set didn't use typical pieces. The white pieces (Julius' pieces) seemed more holy. The king was Richter Belmont, the queen was Maria, the knights were priests, the bishops were nuns, the rooks were Mina and Yoko, and the pawns were monks. Arikado's seemed more dark. The king was Dracula, the 'queen' was Death, the knights were Soma and Alucard, the bishops were skeletons, the rooks were Slogra and Gaibon, and the pawns were zombies. Soma noticed that he was a black piece and wondered why, but ignored it for now.

"We're at an impasse right now," said Arikado. He had his chin resting on his hand.

"Speak for yourself," said Julius. He moved his Mina rook and took out the Soma knight.

Arikado took the Soma piece out of play. As he held it in his hand, he pondered. "Interesting..."

Soma couldn't help but gulp as he saw his game counterpart be taken out of play by the Mina piece.

* * *

**Stephanie Wyrm: Hmmmm...**


	11. The Origins of Dracula

Another Road

**Stephanie Wyrm: We have returned!**

The Origins of Dracula

* * *

Soma sat on a rock as he looked over the landscape before him. He was on a high cliff over the city of Denerim. (From Dragon Age: Origins) He impatiently dug into the dirt with his Kunitsuna. "Why do we need to wait for Alistair anyway? We're Night Hunters. Alistair's a level C Rebuker, we can do his job."

Genya Arikado sat on his black horse by the path. "Alistair and the queen have drunken the blood of the dragon and are allies of the cult. We could have asked for queen Lesia to come instead, she would have been here by now, but she's sick right now. With Alistair as our guide, we'll be able to peacefully speak with the cult. It's not that I want to make more allies, but I'd rather not make more enemies."

Soma put down his sword and sighed in thought. "Arikado, I had another dream about Dracula."

"Again? Isn't that the fourth dream you've had?"

"Yeah. I've been having one every week. I know the story of Dracula, his origins, his final defeat, and everything in between because I've been taught about it, but these dreams make me see extremely detailed visions. Could it have something to do with my dark powers?"

"I'm uncertain. What dream did you have?" Arikado asked.

Soma looked back on the dreams. "My first dream was the first battle between Dracula and Simon. My second dream was the fight between Juste Belmont and Maxim. My third dream... was Dracula's past as Mathias. I dreamed about his grief over Elizabetha's death, the illness he faked, the death of Sara, Rinaldo's descent into madness, and the fight between Leon Belmont and the previous Dark Master Walter. Last night's dream was the conclusion of the fight between Walter and Leon.

* * *

_Walter hunched over and held his side after his defeat. He glared at Leon and shouted in a fury. "I'll just come back to life, you fool! I may not have gotten the Crimson Stone, but once I find it... I will rise and strike you down!"_

_Leon raised his whip in preparation for the final blow, only to hear a loud screech behind him. "What?"_

_Leon and Walter both looked up and saw Death standing over them. "No!" Walter shouted. "You betray me?"_

_"I shall have your soul!" a red light emanated from Death and engulfed Walter._

_"Nooooo!" Walter screamed in hatred as he felt his life force drain out of him. He suddenly vanished before Leon's eyes as Death claimed him._

_"You turned on your master?" Leon asked._

_"I give my master's soul to the king of the Crimson Stone!" The red light left Death and went to a dark corner of the throne room. The light shone for a split second and dispersed._

_Leon could see a dark figure wearing a glowing red necklace. The figure stepped into the light to reveal himself as Mathias Cronqvist. Mathias took in a breath of relief. "Excellent. I've never spent a better night."_

_Leon gasped at the sight of his best friend. "Mathias?"_

_"You didn't disappoint me, Leon. I knew without a doubt you would accomplish this."_

_"What us the meaning of this?"_

_"I needed a powerful vampire's soul, that is all."_

_"Are you saying you used me?"_

_Mathias chuckled and slowly walked circles around Leon. "Not just you, your betrothed Sara, Rinaldo, and Walter. I never thought that it would go so well thoug."_

_Leon pointed at the red amulet Mathias was wearing. "Is that, that stone... the Crimson Stone?"_

_"Ah, you know it? I'm impressed. I made Walter's soul mine with the power of this stone."_

_Leon looked at his Vampire Killer whip. "I sensed a rage from this whip. Mathias! You abandoned humanity!"_

_Mathias shouted in anger. "That's right, by becoming a vampire, I obtained eternal life. That was my goal. It was my revenge against God!"_

_"Revenge against God?"_

_"We have risked our lives and fought for the sake of God... But God mercilessly stole away the one I loved most. When all I ever wanted was for Elizabetha's safety! If limited life is God's decree then I shall defy it! And within that eternity I shall curse Him forever more!"_

_Leon sadly sighed. "Mathias..."_

_"Leon, after what you've been through, you should know..."_

_Leon wiped a small tear away as he remembered Sara. "Yes, you're right. I do understand how you fell... I too..."_

_Mathias held out his hand invitingly. "Then come with me. I will give you eternity too..."_

_Leon scowled in anger. "You wretched fool."_

_Mathias stepped back. "What?"_

_"Is this what the woman you loved would have wanted? The Mathias I know would not have loved such a woman."_

_Mathias only paced around in anger. "Elizabetha was a kind, honorable woman. She was concerned only for me to the very end... That is why I hate Him! Am I wrong? Did you not defeat Walter with hatred in your heart too?"_

_"Yes. I'd be lying if I claimed otherwise. But defeating him... No, preventing others from the same cursed fate... That was Sara's dying wish." Leon heard his former friend gasp. "Granting my beloved's wish. That's all I can do to prove my love for Sara. Eternity without her would be nothing but emptiness."_

_Mathias scowled at Leon. "Leon... I thought you would understand..." Mathias turned and began walking away. "Dawn is breaking... Farewell, Leon." He looked up at Death, who was still hovering above them. "Death, he's all yours." The new Dark Master transformed into a bat and flew away, beginning his reign as Dracula._

_"Stop!" Leon commanded. Death raised his staff and they were teleported to a demonic realm. "No!"_

_Death prepared himself for battle. "By my master's orders, YOU'LL BE DESTROYED HERE AND NOW!"_

_After an intense battle that Soma couldn't fully remember, Death fell in defeat. "To think that I would be..."_

_Leon proudly stood over Death. "I have the power to destroy all related to the vampires. Though you have devine powers, you are no exception."_

_Death chuckled. "Unfortunately for you, as long as my master survives, I will rise from the dead."_

_"Really? Give him this message: You have become a cursed being and I will never forgive you. This whip and my kinsmen will destroy you someday. From this day on, THE BELMONT CLAN WILL HUNT THE NIGHT!"_

* * *

"And that's all I remember," Soma said. "Why do I keep having these dreams though?"

"I don't know, but look alive," said Arikado. "He's here."

They both looked toward the road to find King Alistair walking up the path to them. Alistair was wearing the traditional golden royal armor, with Duncan's Shield and the Green Blade sheathed behind his back. He had short blond hair that he never bothered to fix up. He carried a small black canteen. Soma could tell that Alistair was exhausted. "I'm sorry I'm late," he said in attempt o catch his breath. "I thought I saw a bunch of Genlocks, but it was just a party of drunken dwarves."

"Rebuker Alistair, are you ready for your assignment?" Genya Arikado asked.

"Of course, Night Hunter Arikado, where is the letter?" Alistair asked.

"There isn't any letter," said Soma. "This is a request from the Watchers themselves for us."

"Alistair, you are to escort Soma and myself to the Cult of Andraste," Arikado said. "They know you and would not dare attack us if they knew we were with you."

"What do you need with them? I'm still angry at my wife for defiling the ashes," Alistair said.

"Because they have a purple dragon. Nine years ago, a dragon in the Drake realm laid two purple eggs, the fire guardian hid one in his own realm, but the mother hid the other egg in this realm. She placed it among the eggs of the High Dragon so it would be protected. It's in a special spot that only the High Dragon herself knows of, so the cult won't find it. We must find this other purple dragon so we may reunite it with its brother."

* * *

Elora found herself on Wumpa Island. She looked around in awe at the bright colors of the beach. "My God, this place is so beautiful!" Numerous exotic animals surrounded her. She took in a deep breath of fresh air. "It's so heavenly." Behind her, the door back to the temple faintly glowed on a rock. "I'd better not let anyone find this door." The clever faun brush sand and leaves over the door. She stepped back to make sure it looked natural. "There, now to find the Bandicoots." She fixed her dress and walked into the forest behind the beach.

Dr. Neo Cortex popped up from a rock he was hiding behind. "What was that woman hiding?" He scuttled over to the pile and brushed away the sand and leaves. "Huh?" Before Cortex was… nothing. There was no glowing door. What Elora did not know was that doors to the Omni-Temple can only be seen by those who have been inside before. The door was there, but Cortex could not see it.

* * *

**Stephanie Wyrm: Wow, Spyro has a brother or sister? Yikes! I wonder why Soma is having these dreams?**


End file.
